A television screen in the parliament’s lobby shows PML-N members protesting during the session. PHOTO: INP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday boycotted the debate on President Asif Ali Zardari addressing both houses of the parliament and refused to take part until Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani resigned from office.

“We will not participate in the proceedings till Gilani’s resignation,” said PML-N Senator Zafar Ali Shah. He asked the senate chairman to follow the constitution and not start a debate on the president’s address to the parliament till the matter of the prime minsiter’s conviction was solved.

The motion was moved by Law Minister Farooq H Naek saying, “This House (Senate) expresses its deep gratitude to the President for this address to both Houses assembled together on March 17.”

As PML-N staged a walk-out for an indefinite time period, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani requested their lawmakers to participate in the debate as it was a constitutional matter. “The PML-N should follow the constitution and express their views on the president’s speech.”

Taking part in the debate, Awami National Party Senator Afrasiab Khattak lauded the services of the president and termed him “a man who loves democracy.”

Issues on the day’s agenda, including PML-N’s own resolution regarding formation of new provinces, could not be discussed due to their protests and chants of ‘go Gilani go’, whereas the National Human Rights Commission Bill 2012 was passed during the session which lasted only 30 minutes.

Abid Sher Ali, Hanif Abbasi, Shakeel Awan, Khwaja Asif, Captain Safdar and Ahsan Iqbal were among notable members of the party who actively participated in the protest.

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Do you think PML-N is protesting against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in a democratic manner?

PMLN is not following the democratic norms. Wait for the appeal and final verdict. Pakistan is so unlucky to have leaders who are self-centered and do not care for the country. Everyone says 18 crore awam want it. How strange when their own following is less than 25%.

If they remain silent thier is an abuse “What actually they paid for”
if they protest their is another, “Why they bringing 90s politics again”
if they participate constructively than “Why not, they are afterall Friendly opposition”.

Theire is certainly a smear campaing aginst PMLN is going out right this moment.

The future elections will be PPP+PMLQ+ANP+MQM+PTI VS PMLN+ordinary Public.!!

@Ahmad: People are against PMLN because they are not doing their job right. 1) They offered minimum opposition when NRO was declared null, minimum opposition during early years of government against corruption. 2) They only protest and bring resolutions for point scoring rather than trying to make a definitive point. 3) No clear strategy, all their “tehreeks” begin and end at will of Shareef brothers with no clear objective achieved or failure established. PMLN is absolutely detached with ordinary public so your assumption is untrue NS+PMLN fan boy.

@Ahmad:I just don’t understands why people only targetted PMLN. If they remain silent thier is an abuse

I guess PML-N leaders are also as clueless as you. The point is that politically immature PML-N leaders continue to rush to wrong issues in a wrong manner. Previously, they were holding the finger of someone in the political wing of ISI, Now they are on their own, and they don’t know how to be effective as an opposition.

PML-N is the most confused party in the history of parliamentary democracy. One minute they present resolutions in the National Assembly. The next, they boycott proceedings. Did the quantum state of the assembly miraculously change in those few minutes compelling PML-N to forget about Gillani’s conviction and table a resolution?

What is PML-Noora doing about the recent Drone Attack? They are part of that resolution, how are they looking to implement that resolution against drone strikes?
If you cannot get your resolutions implemented than you should quit the Parliament and sit home.

I am not going to vote next time But I am sick and tired of PTI trolls and their targetted campaign against only one Party and that is PMLn. Whatever they will do they will be bashed by Imran Khan and his followers. And now other parties have joined in and now thanks to PTI opposition is divided and PTI trolls are on the campaign to malign only one party. Sooner with this attitude PTI will see the same fate which they saw once in Pindi where their candidate got less than 5 thousand votes because at that time as well Imran Khan had only one point agenda and that was Bashing of Imran Khan.

PML-N’s representatives please either present vote of no-confidence movement in national assembly/parliament against the PM Gillani because you have NAs’ 91 seats or resign from NAs’ seats and create the atmosphere of next general elections on solid grounds instead of protesting on the roads and destroying the already poor/common man’s businesses if you are really,truly and practically sincere and honest with Pakistan,Pakistan’s economy,sovereignty and nation and now stop back door’s hypocritical political moves/activities.Recommend